All For An Artbook
by daringu
Summary: An accidental run-in with the Rocket-dan ends up in Kasumi and Musashi fighting bitterly over a Sailormoon artbook and Takeshi falling horribly in love with Musashi. Poor Kojiro just wants some new manga.


"All for an Artbook"  
  
A Pokemon/Pocket Monster fanfic  
  
By A. Hahn/Et-chan  
  
Third Version - revision August 2003, revision June 2002, original write sometime in 1999  
  
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If you don't know what manga is, it's ...well..any comic book that comes from Japan, basically. ^_^  
  
Sorcerer Hunters is actually one of my favorites, and even though it *looks* like it should be NC-17, it's really no worse than PG-13. Well, the TV series, anyway. ^_^ (No vouching for the OAVS. ^^^). Musashi's voice actress, Hayishabara Megumi, is in the anime version of it.  
  
This fanfic kind of spilled out..it's not really supposed to have a purpose, and ended up being more character-study than I originally intended. ^^;; I wanted to write something with a Musashi-Kasumi rival base, since I love that rivalry and nobody really talks about it that much..  
  
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While Satoshi continued on his seemingly everlasting Pokemon journey, there was a scream from the 15-year old Takeshi on his left.  
  
"It ended there?!"  
  
The 12-year old orangehead to Satoshi's right glared.  
  
"What is it now, Takeshi? Did you get us lost yet again?"  
  
"No.." he cried, strain radiating from his face.   
  
"Such a cliffhanger! How could they do that to me? I must buy the next volume!"  
  
Satoshi scowled. His feeling was that he should never have to take his attention away from such important things as the Road and his Pokemon Quest. He glanced at the cover of the black and white manga in Takeshi's hand.  
  
"Ba-kure-ts-u," he slowly enunciated, with Kasumi giggling behind him.  
  
"Sorcerer Hunters. Learn to read kanji," she laughed.  
  
"You don't have to be such a meanie just because you can read faster than me!" Satoshi snapped back.  
  
Kasumi's eyebrow lifted. "Maybe you should have stayed in school instead of getting a Pokemon trainer's license..."  
  
Satoshi started weakly protesting that he HAD gone to school for five years, his kanji just wasn't perfect, while Takeshi sat down and sobbed bitterly.  
  
Some time passed before Satoshi simply ignored Kasumi's constant onslaught of insults and addressed Takeshi.  
  
"Can I see your manga? What's it about, anyway?" His gloved hands gingerly thumbed through the pages until Takeshi abruptly snatched the book back.  
  
"It's a bit too old for you, Satoshi. I don't want to get on Hanako's bad side for showing you this."  
  
"He means it's perverted," Kasumi interjected.  
  
Takeshi blushed red as a Hitokage. "OF COURSE NOT! It's simply more complex than what Satoshi's used to."  
  
Kasumi snatched the manga out of Takeshi's hands.  
  
"Looks perverted to me."  
  
"It's a romance."  
  
"Whatever. Then why are they dressed like THAT?"  
  
"They hunt sorcerers."  
  
"Does the girl need to wear only suspenders over her breasts to hunt sorcerers?"  
  
"Well, I, uh,...IT'S NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE!"  
  
Satoshi started talking to Pikachu.  
  
The argument landed in a stalemate. Kasumi finally admitted "All right, I believe it's a romance, but still, do they need those costumes?" while Takeshi leaked that he did originally buy the manga for the girls and their costumes.  
  
"However," he fought, "I was drawn in by the story."  
  
"Are you two done yet?" asked Satoshi, only to be whacked by Kasumi.  
  
"I think we can get to Umi City by nightfall if we press on," Takeshi said. The other two agreed, and peace ensued once more. The trio talked Pokemon strategy to pass the time over the long, winding dirt road - and, naturally, the conversation returned to Satoshi's Ongoing Aim to be a Pokemon Master.  
  
"So, who does run the last gym?" Satoshi asked. He fought diligently and had, through many battles, won seven out of the eight required badges required for Pokemon League finals. All the trainers he had met on his journey knew nothing about the Tokiwa City gym leader, who was the last trainer he had to beat. The mysterious man was rarely seen, and rarely beaten. Rumors flitted that he possessed an unknown Pokemon that levelled both Pokemon and their   
  
trainers.   
  
"Takeshi, you're a former Gym Leader, you have to know something!" shouted Satoshi, more at the sky than at a specific person. Crimson fire burned in his eyes.  
  
"I don't know anything about him," Takeshi replied, his features twisting themselves into a slight frown. "I've heard he has a very large supply of Pokemon but favors a Persian, and that's about it."  
  
"You're a gym leader, you should know about your fellow leaders!" Kasumi interrupted.  
  
"We Gym Leaders are so separated by distance that we barely ever see each other. I've seen him a couple times, and he is probably the oldest out of all of the Leaders. His name's Sakaki."  
  
"I've heard my sisters mention him before. He seems a bit eccentric," Kasumi interjected.  
  
Pikachu started to tug at Satoshi's hat. Satoshi turned his head abruptly.  
  
"What's the matter, Pikachu?"  
  
"Pi--kaa-chuu.." it crooned. Satoshi interpreted;  
  
"He's hungry."   
  
"We're out of food," replied Takeshi after a little rummaging in his backpack.  
  
"Well, I suppose we'll just have to see how long it takes to this Umi  
  
City," sighed Kasumi.  
  
Three pairs of feet clomped on the dusty road, along with two pairs of paws.  
  
Meanwhile, in a little manga store in Umi City, Musashi was bored.  
  
Really bored. In fact, so bored that she was actually hoping jari-boy and his Pikachu would show up. The reason for her boredom was four feet in front of her, still rifling through and poking his finger at rows and rows of manga.  
  
Kojiro. His tendency for obsession had taken over, making the intended ten minute stop turn into a four hour visit. Musashi had picked out what she wanted in five minutes or so - Slayers volume 11, the Serial Experiments Lain novelization, and His and Her Circumstances volume 6. Kojiro's pile of manga he wanted to buy numbered around 18 and he still had his eyes glued to the shelves.   
  
"Oooh, look, Musashi!" he grinned. "Revolutionary Girl Utena doujinshi!"  
  
Musashi debated whether she would whack him now or later. She went for now and clopped him on the head.  
  
"Kojiro, I don't want to be here all day! Or, rather, I don't want to spend ANOTHER day here!"  
  
"Oh, so you're ready to go?"  
  
Musashi exploded.  
  
"I've BEEN ready to go for THREE AND A HALF HOURS, YOU IDIOT!!"  
  
Kojiro ducked down, trying to avoid the varying blows that seemed to be flying at him from all directions. He wondered how Musashi had so many arms.  
  
"Five minutes more, please, I need to look through the doujinshi," he begged, while sinking lower and lower to the floor. This was a public place! Didn't she have any sense?  
  
"Yeah, okay," she finally relented and sat back down. She pulled a portable CD player out of her backpack and pressed play.  
  
Kojiro decided to risk a question to make it seem as if he was paying attention to her. She always liked attention.   
  
"What CD are you listening to?"  
  
"Amuro Namie. I'd hurry up if I were you - your five minutes are ticking  
  
away."  
  
As her blue-haired companion returned to the enthralling world of manga, Musashi in the corner rolled her eyes and stared off into space. She sometimes wished her partner would have some sense. They were in the bargain back room, so no one would have become suspicious seeing her seemingly random violence. The duo simply didn't have enough extra money to buy regular-priced manga. She thought about throwing an extra manga or two in her bag and sneaking them out, but decided she wasn't really in the mood for shoplifting. Besides, what if she was caught? The Rocket-dan uniforms in her bag were incriminating enough to have them locked up straightaway under the Rocket Control Act. She and Kojiro would be able to break from jail, they always had, but the local Junsa would surely report it to higher authorities. The news would travel to the Boss somehow, and the failed-shoplifting incident would be just another thing added to the List of Things Musashi and Kojiro Have Done Wrong.  
  
She frowned. After stealing hundreds of Pokemon their first year, did they deserve this? They were only wedged in this rut of bad luck because of jari-boy and his stupid Pikachu. She always wondered - why hadn't the boss given up on them following jari-boy and assigned a team of older, more experienced Rockets to handle the Pokemon abduction?  
  
  
  
"Are we there yet?" Kasumi whined. It was almost 4:00.  
  
"Nearly," Takeshi mumbled, his eyes glued to the map.  
  
"Takeshi, you idiot, the map's upsidown," Kasumi screeched.  
  
"You sound like a Zubat," Satoshi giggled. The retribution for this comment turned out to be a lump on his head.  
  
Takeshi tried to look like he didn't hear Kasumi's comment and turned the map right-side-up while she wasn't looking.   
  
"Just should be around the bend..." Takeshi muttered.   
  
And there it was. A large overhead sign read "Welcome to Umi City!". The town was rather small, one of the little country stops that Satoshi and company usually made, preferring them to the big cities. Kasumi liked the big cities, but all agreed they weren't safe for free-walking Pokemon.   
  
Pikachu barely croaked "Pika.." and rolled over on its side. Satoshi scooped it off the ground and cuddled it in his arms, remarking "Is there a Pokemon Centre nearby?"  
  
"I don't think so.." said Takeshi, rubbing his chin. Kasumi snatched the map out of his hands.  
  
"Idiot - of course there is. Can't you read the symbols on the map? Do you need glasses or something?"  
  
Takeshi made a face at her and continued. "I'll be able to see a Joi!" he realized, his face lightening.  
  
"They all look the same, your infatuation is meaningless," muttered Kasumi as they continued down the small, dirt path. The town mostly comprised of houses, but here and there there were a few shops. Finally, they came to a small brick building with a Monsterball signpost outside.  
  
"Are you sure this is it?" Satoshi asked. It didn't look like any Pokemon Centre he'd seen - all the ones he knew had been much bigger.  
  
Almost in reply to his comment, one of the various Joi came outside and smiled prittily at them.  
  
"Travellers! We don't get many. Are you here to rest your Pokemon?"  
  
Instantaneously something in Takeshi's mind registered "pretty girl", and he lost all control. Kasumi, rolling her eyes, replied "Yes, we are. We've been walking for quite a while."  
  
"Follow me, then," the pink haired girl bobbed. Takeshi rushed towards her.  
  
"How about I take you out to dinner?"  
  
"We can talk after you turn your Pokemon in," Joi answered.  
  
She led them to a few small crevices in the wall inside the Centre that had indents in them for six Monsterballs.   
  
"Place your Monsterballs in here, please," she instructed. Satoshi popped his Fushigidane, Lizardon, Zenigame, and Pijeon via Monsterballs in the slot and explained to Joi that his Pikachu didn't really like being in a Monsterball. Joi said it was no problem, and just give Pikachu to her, which Satoshi did. Kasumi, meanwhile, carefully placed the Monsterballs that held her Hitodeman, Starmie, Togepi, Dosakinto, Tattsu, and Koduck inside the niche. Takeshi was still drooling.  
  
"Takeshi, are you going to heal your POkemon or not?" Satoshi said, elbowing Takeshi to snap the hapless romantic out of it. It had the desired effect - Takeshi popped his Monsterballs in the wall, but then returned to HappyJoiLand as he tried, somewhat unsuccessfully, to make conversation with Joi.  
  
"Have you had any other business today?" Kasumi cut in after a few awkward exchanges, tired of hearing Takeshi act like an idiot.  
  
"Not much..there was a couple that stopped in before today and their Pokemon haven't finished being healed yet, but they shouldn't be back for another hour," Joi answered.  
  
"A couple?" Satoshi questioned, the bubbles working in his brain. "What did they look like?"  
  
"One had long, maroon hair, and the other had short blue hair."  
  
One of the bubbles in Satoshi's brain popped. "Were they wearing uniforms that had large 'R's on them, and did the maroon-haired one have a hairstyle like this?" he asked, while demonstrating Musashi's gravity-defying hairstyle with his hands.  
  
"No," Joi shook her head. "The maroon-haired girl had hair down to her ankles. Quite pretty, but very annoying, as I know," she said, looking at the curled-up braids at the side of her head.   
  
"But your hair's so gorgeous....don't cut it just because of that..." Takeshi gushed.  
  
Kasumi smacked him. "Let's go."  
  
"We're starving. Is there any place to get some good food in this town?" Satoshi asked.  
  
"Well, there's a nice ramen place down the way, and there's a manga store right next to it," Joi answered. Takeshi immediately brightened at the mention of a manga store and muttered "Tira..Chocolate.." before returning to his Joi obsession.  
  
Joi waved heartily as Kasumi and Satoshi dragged Takeshi out of the store by his legs.  
  
"Are you sure that you can't eat with us?" Takeshi said, somewhat muffled in his horizontally challenged-state.  
  
"I'd love to," she blushed, "but I've got to get back to work."   
  
Kasumi and Satoshi succeeded in their mission and slammed the door shut.  
  
"Your Pokemon will be ready in two hours!" Joi called out an open window after them.  
  
"This stmuff is goof," Satoshi somewhat said, ramen noodles hanging out of his mouth.  
  
"Very good," Kasumi seconded.  
  
Takeshi drooled. Their server was a girl.  
  
"Takeshi, if you don't finish your ramen I'm going to eat it for you!" called out Kasumi from the other end of the bar. Crisping sounds and delicious smells filled the air.  
  
"Go ahead..." Takeshi trailed off. Kasumi's hand reached in front of him and grabbed the bowl, only to be stopped by Satoshi's hand.  
  
"Let's split it! It's the good seaweed ramen!"  
  
"NO!" Kasumi yelled, and a yanking, pulling, thrusting, angry tug-of-war began right in front of Takeshi, who didn't notice at all.  
  
"Hey, wanna take a walk, just you and I?" Takeshi questioned at the server, eyes blazing. "Or, if you don't want to, we could find an empty room and discuss the night away."  
  
"Thanks, but no thanks," the nondescript girl winked at him.  
  
"Oh, but you winked! You winked! That means you at least like me somewhat!!" Takeshi thought to himself. "Maybe I should ask if I could help her cook, maybe if I did that she'd-"  
  
A bowl of ramen exploded in his face. Kasumi and Satoshi, on either side of him, looked extremely guilty.  
  
His mind continued. "-she'd think I was extremely generous, and go out with me, yes, that's a good idea."  
  
He buffed himself up and tried to make himself look as attractive as possible in five seconds. Finally, he enacted his plan.  
  
"Can I help you with your work?"  
  
She just started laughing.  
  
"Takeshi..." Satoshi said, poking him slightly.  
  
"WHAT?" he snapped, and happened to catch a glance of himself in a mirror.  
  
Kasumi and Satoshi burst out in spasms of laughter.  
  
An hour later, they were stuffed to the brim with ramen (even Takeshi, who after his embarrassment had decided he was hungry) and ready to pick up their Pokemon, but they still had an hour to kill. Takeshi dragged them all into the manga store, which was a small, dark little place located next to the ramen resturaunt.  
  
The man at the cash register acknowledged them with a nod and a hearty "Good evening!" as they walked in the store. Takeshi immediately asked where the Bakuretsu Hunter manga was and was directed to the corner.   
  
"What're you thinking about getting, Kasumi?" Satoshi asked, his finger currently in the Doraemon section.  
  
"Oh, some Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne, Peach Girl, Revolutionary Girl Utena," she paused, "-girl stuff. Nothing you'd probably appreciate. And what about you?"  
  
He slightly blushed. "Doraemon."  
  
"Doraemon?!" Kasumi threw the Sailor V manga she was holding three feet in the air. "You're way too young for that!"  
  
"I like it!" Satoshi protested. "And it's not like that's ALL I buy - I also want to get some more Tokiwa City Caper and Dragonball Z."  
  
"Dragonball Z. Heh," Kasumi hmmped. "At least Tokiwa City Caper doesn't have chapters where all the main characters do is stand around and breathe for five chapters before they battle for a page."  
  
Takeshi, after picking up Sorcerer Hunters volumes 10 and 11, found himself in the bargain room and had his eyes bug out.  
  
That girl! Her perfect, gorgeous hair the color of light strawberries cascading down her back in ripples, the round glasses that complimented her face so well hanging down just past her nose, the black shirt, blue jeans, CD player at her side and manga in her hand, such a perfect face...  
  
Takeshi fainted with a nosebleed. Satoshi, hearing the commotion, rushed in and helped him out of his new relationship with the floor. The girl he was fawning over, meanwhile, didn't seem to notice. On her ears were a pair of earphones and she was wholly engrossed in a Slayers comic.  
  
"That...girl..." the 15-year old muttered, putting his hand to his face.  
  
"I want to marry her!"  
  
"Calm down, Takeshi," Satoshi warned. "I don't think she's going to want to marry you at the first meeting."  
  
Ignoring Satoshi, Takeshi ran up to the girl and managed to get her attention.  
  
"Hi," he said, awkwardly.  
  
She looked up at him with blue eyes, lowered the manga slightly, and said: "Hi."  
  
"Will you marry me?" he nearly asked, but caught himself and changed it to "You like Slayers? I do too! Who's your favorite character?"  
  
"Gourry," she said, and covered her face with the manga again. Takeshi was not deterred.  
  
"Are you a Pokemon trainer?" he asked, falling upon one of the easiest topics of conversation - Pokemon.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Satoshi was watching Takeshi's exploits, amused, and failed to notice when Kojiro slid past him. Kojiro's face was glued to the titles and likewise didn't notice the young trainer.  
  
"What Pokemon do you train?" he asked, hoping all his masculine charm would help him out for once. Satoshi, looking at the girl closely, realized that she must've the girl that Joi was talking about.  
  
"Oh, a few.." she muttered, mostly ignoring Takeshi.  
  
Kasumi, bored, ran into the back room. "Aren't you guys ready to go ye-"  
  
She and the red haired girl's eyes locked. Both immediately reached for their belts, as if for Monsterballs, cursed, and locked eyes again.  
  
"Musashi!" Kasumi yelped. "What are YOU doing HERE?"  
  
"What? Here? Rocket-dan!" Satoshi gasped.  
  
"If you asked 'what'," Musashi began, but then realized that Kojiro probably wasn't going to break away from his precious manga and Nyasu was still at the Pokemon Centre. She inwardly cursed again. No Speech this meeting.  
  
Takeshi didn't seem deterred. "Musashi, will you have dinner with me?"  
  
Everyone in the area blatantly sweatdropped as Kasumi nearly screamed "If you liked her so much, how come we haven't gone through this situation before?!"  
  
"I didn't realize her true beauty..until...now..." Takeshi muttered, and fell over with a nosebleed again.  
  
"To hell with him!" Kasumi yelled.   
  
Kojiro, over at the other end of the big bargain room, heard his cel phone ring and opened it a crack. He was avoiding the girls, since he knew an explosion from one or both girls was imminent. "Hello?"  
  
The voice that confronted him was eerily familiar. "Good evening."  
  
"Boss!" he exclaimed, and started fidgeting nervously.  
  
"You are inside the manga store in Umi City, correct?" Kojiro weakly affirmed the statement, amazed at how efficient the Rocket-dan's spy rings were becoming. To know that much...  
  
"Good. The owner of this store has a Freezer and a Thunder under his counter, as well as a large amount of money and a very expensive gun. You are to steal these items."  
  
Kojiro started to answer "Yes, boss," but was cut off by an abrupt dial tone.  
  
He called over to the other side of the store. "Musashi!"  
  
  
  
Kasumi noticed the lone Sailormoon Materials Collection artbook sitting on the shelf and dived for it. Musashi did the same. Manga, knocked down, rained around them as they each placed two hands on the artbook. Tangled up and nursing bruised limbs, the two hurled insults at each other as they played a careful tug of war with the book - tearing it would severly damage the satisfaction either would receive from winning the book.  
  
Satoshi and Takeshi stared, but eventually started snickering. When Kojiro walked up, the two surprised him by talking to him. They usually just ignored him, preferring to make threats to Musashi, who always returned them straightaway.   
  
"Can I go out with your partner?" Takeshi asked eagerly, hoping the two weren't romantically involved already.  
  
"Um..." Kojiro fidgeted, not exactly expecting *that* question. "Umm...if you think you can withstand Musashi's blows, go ahead."  
  
"YAY!" Takeshi yelled, and started dancing around in a circle. "I can date Musashi, I can date Musashi, I can date Musashi..."  
  
"It's MINE! MINE!" the girls shouted as they tugged on the book.  
  
"Those two are acting like three-year olds," Satoshi muttered. Kojiro, giving up on communicating with Takeshi in the state the latter was in, just stared.  
  
"Hey, Musashi, the Boss called, and even though I know you're, well, kinda busy-" he was cut off by Musashi.   
  
"That artbook is mine," she grinned, clicking the safety latch off on the gun that was pointed straight at Kasumi. Kasumi shuddered.  
  
"How dare you? That's not fair play!" Kasumi shrieked.  
  
"This isn't a Pokemon battle, dear," Musashi glowered. Ever-so slowly Kasumi released her iron grip on the artbook.  
  
"If I had my Pokemon I'd.." she started to say, but Musashi cut her off.   
  
"Guns still hurt Pokemon."   
  
Kasumi glared at her.  
  
The males were watching the expressions Kasumi was giving Musashi with great intent.   
  
"I wish I had a video camera," Satoshi grinned. It would be the perfect opportunity to embarrass Kasumi if he did - Kasumi would get so mad if she had to witness her defeat by her greatest rival over and over again! It would be great!  
  
"Kasumi, you can get the artbook somewhere else," Takeshi advised. He didn't think threatening Musashi with a gun simply for an artbook was a good idea. Now, Bakuretsu Hunter manga...that was another story.  
  
"This is the only Materials Collection they have, and who knows when we'll get to another manga store!" She stamped her foot.   
  
Kojiro weighed the possiblities. He could tell Musashi about the Boss' call and invoke her wrath, or he could not and invoke the Boss' wrath. He decided he preferred the former. Musashi's blows didn't come close to the things that the Boss had devised...  
  
"Eh, Musashi, the Boss called, and-"  
  
She rotated her waist slightly, just enough to keep her eye on Kasumi and him at the same time.  
  
"And what?"  
  
"We're supposed to rob the owner of this store of his Pokemon and his money."  
  
"Good thing I have my gun out already, then," she grinned. Kojiro shuddered. He was happy she wasn't going to try to beat him down - but he didn't like her when she was in these violent, psychopathic moods. He just wanted one day without having to rob anything or the presence Jari boy and company...but then, he didn't want to be at home either.  
  
Musashi looked around cautiously and dashed into the front of the store. Kojiro muttered "I really don't feel like doing this..." and herded Satoshi, Takeshi, and Kasumi into the front of the store with his own gun, ignoring the protests from all three. Takeshi doubted that Kojiro had the guts to shoot anyone. There was no question about Musashi, though. Such elegance as she swung the gun in Kasumi's face! That wary coolness!  
  
In one movement, Musashi slid herself on the counter and shoved the gun at the owner's forehead.  
  
"Hi!" she said in an overly perky voice. "I'd like all the Pokemon you have, besides your money."  
  
"And the gun you have under the counter," Kojiro added. Beads of sweat immediately broke out on the store owner's face.  
  
"I only have this Freezer, but you can have it," the man said, slowly reaching under the counter and handing Musashi a Monsterball.  
  
"There's more," Kojiro said in a bored tone, wishing he could be anywhere else. Then he shuddered and decided he'd rather be in this situation than with his fiancee and her whips.  
  
"No, there isn't," the owner warbled.  
  
"Your money and gun would be nice," Musashi continued. "But of course, if you don't wish to give it to us, there is the alternative, which is me shooting you and taking the money anyway."  
  
The cash register opened with a miniature 'ching!' and the owner carefully collected every bill of yen in the register and placed it into Musashi's open hand. He opened a container under the counter, pulled out a small, nondescript gun, and placed it into Kojiro's hand.  
  
"That's a Rocket model!" Takeshi gasped.  
  
"So it is..." Musashi muttered. She readjusted her own gun in the middle of the owner's temples.  
  
"How did you get this?"  
  
The owner started to stammer. "I..I don't know..."  
  
"Yes you do."   
  
Her finger started to close on the trigger.  
  
"I was a Rocket member! A long time ago..."  
  
"And you quit?" Musashi scoffed. "The code of honor we all agreed to forbids quitting."  
  
"It was for personal reasons," he barked at her. She looked mildly surprised. Must've been some important personal reasons, she thought. You didn't just turn your back on the Boss, because then he'd shoot you while you weren't looking.  
  
"Where's your Thunder?" Kojiro asked.  
  
"I don't have it! I sold it a long time ago!"  
  
"Liar." Musashi shot at a poster above to prove her point. The bullet went through the poster to the plaster, which started to crumble and fall on everyone's heads.  
  
"We've got to get out of here!" Satoshi yelled. The trio had been mostly silent during the exchange esince they weren't really in the mood to get shot at by Musashi or were too overcome with wrath to speak (Kasumi).  
  
The two Rockets ran out of the store, yelling their usual "I've got a bad feeling about this!" Everyone else followed them.  
  
This time, compared to all the other times the Rockets had tried to commit a robbery with Satoshi around, they had gotten away with the loot. Kojiro stuffed a large pile of premium, new manga (not bargain!) in a bag as they ran out of the collapsing building.  
  
  
  
"Nice job," Yamato said half-sarcastically, raising an eyebrow. "I wouldn't expect such a good haul from you three."  
  
Nyasu yawned and stretched. He started to meow "What job?" but Musashi and Kojiro threw him in a corner.  
  
"Go to hell, Yamato," Musashi muttered, annoyed that Sakaki had sent her old rival to pick up the things she and Kojiro - well, mostly she, of course - had stolen.  
  
Kosaburo, Yamato's partner, rifled through the money.  
  
"Out of 119,000 yen....you each get six thousand yen."  
  
"Six thousand?!" Musashi snapped. "I nearly get killed by falling rafters for six thousand yen only?! Kojiro doesn't deserve anything! He didn't do anything!"  
  
"Sakaki's orders," Yamato smirked. "He said it's because you've failed so many times before."  
  
Nyasu started grumbling and Kojiro suppressed a sigh.  
  
Satoshi and Takeshi were having a lively conversation at the Pokemon Centre. Joi, horrified at the tidings that the manga store had been robbed and had collapsed, offered the three of them lodging there for the night. They had accepted, Takeshi and Satoshi being exhausted. Kasumi was invigorated with a want for revenge, but the other two had told her that if she wanted to chase Musashi, she'd have to by herself. The Rocket duo had left with their refreshed Pokemon in a hurry just before Satoshi and his friends ran into the Pokemon Center. The two and Nyasu were now missing. Umi City was so small it didn't even have a local Junsa residing - one from the nearest city had to be called in, but by the time she came, there was no chance of catching the Rockets. Police in other towns were put on alert, but the Junsa shook her head.  
  
"They've probably met up with other Rocket members collecting the money and Pokemon by now. Then we won't be able to find them, as they'll be transferred somewhere else."  
  
Satoshi yawned, tossed an apple at Pikachu (who gobbled it up immediately), and stretched out his sleeping bag. Takeshi, next to him, looked worried.  
  
"What's wrong, Takeshi?" Satoshi said.  
  
"Well...what that Junsa said...will the Rocket Gang really be transferred somewhere else, or will we see them somewhere else in a couple days?"  
  
"Why do you ask?"  
  
Takeshi's face picked up a glazed look. "I want to see Musashi again!"  
  
Satoshi furrowed his eyebrows and looked outside, where a flashlight gleamed inside one of the big oak trees. Kasumi tended to climb trees when she was angry.  
  
"I suppose we should ask her if she wants to come in..." Satoshi half-muttered to Takeshi, trying to get Takeshi off the subject of Musashi. He didn't really want to be near Kasumi when she was in one of these moods, but he was worried about her in some small part of his mind. Takeshi picked up his own flashlight and walked out the Pokemon Center doors, leaving the half-asleep Satoshi behind. Kasumi leaned against the branches, looking fiercely at the stars, flashlight in one hand, Utena manga in the other.  
  
"Are you going to come inside? It's going to get cold at some point."  
  
"No."  
  
He was startled by her abrupt answer. Usually she'd rattle off a huge rant about something or other when she was in a bad mood.  
  
They have quite a rivalry, Musashi and Kasumi, he thought. His memories tumbled back to the Girls' Day festival, when both had fought bitterly and frantically over a set of dolls. After Kasumi had won, Musashi, as well as Kojiro and Nyasu, had disappeared for a few days - a rare occurence, as Satoshi and company had a run-in with them every day otherwise.   
  
There had been other times, too, when the two had insulted each other - Takeshi had to hand it to Kojiro - he was pretty sure living with Musashi was a lot worse than living with Kasumi. The maroon haired girl could curse like a sailor and was a lot stronger than Kasumi, resulting in much more painful bruises for whoever happened to insult her.  
  
He tried to start a conversation again. "You really should come inside - it's going to get cold tonight. Autumn's on the way."  
  
She laughed, slightly hoarse. "Go inside and fawn over Joi."  
  
Mmm..Joi...he thought, but launched back into the talk. "Kasumi, I'm not  
  
waiting all day."  
  
"And I'm not coming in!" she snapped.  
  
"Fine - be that way!" he shouted, and started to stomp back into the centre. Damn women..  
  
"You do know why I'm staying out here, don't you?" she called out across the field. Takeshi turned around.  
  
"Yeah, you and Musashi have a little rivalry - seemingly much worse than Satoshi and Shigeru's - and you're overreacting because she got away with an artbook that you wanted."  
  
She looked even more annoyed. "You wouldn't know what I'm feeling - you've never had a rivalry in your whole life!"  
  
That comment broke through to his ego. "Excuse me?! Don't you think I sometimes feel eclipsed by Wonder Boy and his Pikachu too?"  
  
"You only care about chasing after girls!"  
  
"I, at least, have a reason to be with Satoshi, besides hanging around him simply because he owes me money for a new bike and I have no other life!"  
  
Kasumi exploded.  
  
"All right, Mr. Pokemon Breeder, have you successfully interned yourself to one famous Pokemon breeder? No. Have you done any research at a library about Pokemon breeding? No. You have hands-on training, but that's not ALL you need!"  
  
"But still, at least I know what I want to do with my life."  
  
She yanked her gaze from him and stared up at the moon again.  
  
"You don't have sisters who can do EVERYTHING better than you."  
  
Takeshi rolled his eyes. "You haven't even tried Pokemon Gym leading except for when you fought Satoshi."  
  
"I thought you thought Gym-Leading was ridiculous!"  
  
"For me. It's not what I like doing. I think you would do well at it, though - once you get your temper under control."  
  
"What's that supposed to mean?!"  
  
"Whatever you want. Look, I'm going in - I'm freezing."  
  
He turned towards the open door, looking at the clock inside. It read 10:11. Both could hear the snores of Satoshi and Pikachu inside.  
  
Kasumi slowly climbed out of the tree and ran to join Takeshi.  
  
"You know, you are a stubborn idiot, and I don't see how you're ever going to get a boyfriend."  
  
"Excuse me, Mr. Woman-Obsessor."  
  
Nyasu, curled up in the corner of the tent, grinned up at Kojiro.  
  
"No Musashi tonight, nya?"  
  
He scowled at the cat. "You make it sound like we're sleeping together. Far from it."  
  
"Nya-I simply meant that she simply doesn't want the company of us two males tonight. Don't take offense."  
  
"Every other word you say is meant to give offense in one way or another," Kojiro said, although in a lighter tone.  
  
He gazed at the moon outside. Nights like this made him glad he was with these two, who didn't care a thing if he cross-dressed, acted weird, or didn't behave like a gentleman.   
  
The moon's rays led him to Musashi, who was lying on a blanket outside, a stolen manga in her hand. He noticed it was one of his own. The artbook she and Kasumi had argued over was lying next to her, one of her arms laying protectively over it.  
  
"Why are you still out there?" he called. "It's supposed to be really cold tonight!"  
  
It took her a couple seconds to snap out of the manga and register what was going on.   
  
"It's not cold now!"  
  
"You're crazy!"  
  
He snapped the tent flap shut and tried to lay down to sleep for a minute, but realized it was no use and walked outside. Too much had gone on that day, and he wanted to try and convince Musashi to come inside. It was slightly warmer in the tent, anyway.  
  
As he walked towards her, he saw her rise and shake her fist at the moon.  
  
"The score's even now, Kasumi!" 


End file.
